


Trick or Treat?

by tokicham



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Nakamaship, Suspense, Trick or Treating, Witchcraft, mugiwara no ichimi in costume
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-01-30 04:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12646476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokicham/pseuds/tokicham
Summary: It's supposed to be a fun day for the Straw Hat Pirates, celebrating the feast for the dead. But Zoro had to go through a  challenge to break a curse that could affect his life forever. It was simple, yet things may get out of hand if the subject of the challenge was the last person he wanted to be with. Sanji, on the other hand was stuck with the captain's order."Right! Bring back Zoro Sanji! Everyone have to watch the Straw Hat pirates show!" Luffy said, determined eyes at him. Sanji couldn't refuse the captain's orders and the moss brain wasn't that hard to find. He composed himself and took a drag of his smoke. "Okay we'll be at the plaza tonight." He earned an approving smile from his captain.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Zoro was standing at the center of a small clearing in the middle of the forest. He was sure that the sun was only halfway to its peak when he found himself there. Now the sun was on its zenith, yet Zoro hadn't reached the place he was looking for. His stomach growled at him; it seemed to be expressing the frustration he was getting used to. He had not eaten anything since breakfast and the fact that he wasn't able to do the single task in mind escalated his annoyance with the situation.

He was trying to find a costume shop. So why in seven hells was he greeted by wild giant trees, brittle ground, and thick, wrinkled, crawling roots everywhere? The trees casted dark shadows within the woods despite the sun still in the sky, the branches and leaves were so dense it covered the trail on the ground. Zoro's brow only furrowed further; with a heavy sigh, he started walking in opposite direction of the dark forest. If he wanted to find the town, surely it wasn't going on the other way.

~~~~~

The Straw Hat crew docked to restock on the small island; they didn't have to wait for the log pose to reset before leaving. The plan was just to make a quick shopping trip then they go. But the townspeople met them with torch and fork, screaming ‘burn’ in their wake. Usopp almost cried in fear at the sight of the mad mob of which looked more like a bunch of zombies with flesh unlike the kind they encountered in Thriller Bark. Chopper squealed when one of them approached him saying 'brain' in a deep but sluggish tone. Brook took a step and stood between them ready to defend his nakama same with the other crew member. Zoro didn't expect another haunted island but it was fine as long as he’d get to fight some strong opponent. These kinds of things were blessings to him.

The crowd just stood gaping in front of them, stunned at the speaking skeleton for a moment before they screamed and ran for their lives. In seconds, the zombies retreated in panic. It puzzled them, but Zoro saw the amused smile that crept on their archeologist’s lips. "Interesting." She muttered to herself. The zombies weren't that fast, fore Luffy managed to catch one of them. The zombie was struggling and begging for its life?

"Please spare me! I don't want to die." It cried. Luffy dropped him to the ground.

"But you’re already dead!" The captain said, his face bending in a confused look as he sat beside the zombie. The crew gathered around the Zombie to look at him.

"I think you owe us an explanation." Robin addresses the man. At first the man looked like the real thing, but now that they had a clear view of him, they realized that the man was alive and not a zombie. The man apologized for scaring them, and asked them to come in his inn. Luffy never rejected an invitation, so the crew found themselves eating breakfast at the man's place.

"A festival for the dead?" Nami repeated the man's words.

The crew was settled at the long table full of nicely made cuisine. Luffy was busy inhaling food like there was no tomorrow as the others struggled to compete with their captain unless they wanted to get nothing for breakfast. The girls didn't have a problem since the shitty cook was protecting their plates from their captain. Zoro just caught Luffy's stretched arm; a hairs breath from his plate, he didn't waste time and gobbled his food before he released the arm.

It snapped back to Luffy as he whined. "That's cheating Zoro!"

"It's my food!"He barked back.

"Am.. Yes. Today we celebrate for the souls of the dead." The man that was also the Mayor of the town continued, glancing away from Brook to talk to the ladies. Zoro noticed the wariness of the man on their dead nakama and he was clearly distracted on their eating behavior. "It was an old tradition in our town, it started with offerings and prayers decades ago but the culture grew and the people influenced the tradition. Today we celebrate it not only with prayers but also to indulge everyone to participate in the festival." Robin nodded at him. "All of the people here are required to wear costumes of the dead to show their empathy with them. Soon it becomes a grand event in our town."

"And scaring people are part of it." Nami guessed in an irritated tone.

"Yes." The Mayor's mood suddenly lightened. "It's fun tricking people."

"You're lucky we hadn't lunch a bazooka on your port, bro."

Franky commented, grinning as if imagining the scene.

"It was close, but no one would want to have breakfast with a mangled Mayor early in the morning, don't we?" Robin said with a small smile, Zoro didn't know if it was supposed to be a joke. Usopp just groaned as Luffy shove food in his mouth. "I like you better as you are now." Luffy said in consideration.

"T-Thank you." The Mayor muttered.

"Anyway, we're just here to restock so it's better if we start after we eat. If the town is going to be busy for their festival we're going to have a long day to deal with it." The redhead concluded as she settled the glass of juice on the table.

"Oh, restock? I'm afraid you guys won't do much of that today. You see, since the festival is today most of the shop are close, everyone is preparing." It dawned to the crew that the situation was out of hand and they had no choice but to stay. "Why don't you just join us in our event? It'll be fun, be our guest." The Zombie Mayor said heartedly.

"Yeah! That would be great!"Luffy yelled both hands in the air gripping meat bones.

The idea struck everyone and Chopper stood on his chair stars sparkling in his eyes. "We'll be wearing costumes!"

"I'll be the ghost of the greatest captain of the lost sea!" Usopp shout proudly.

It really sounded fun coming from them, but Zoro didn't have time for those kinds of things, he'd rather stay in the Sunny and do some training. Robin giggled on her seat watching the excited boys. Nami also had a genuine smile on her face and went with the decision. The mayor told them that the log post will set in a week so spending a day or two in the island won't affect their current route.

"Yosh! I want everyone to join this event! I want to see everyone in costume! Shishishi!" Their captain declared before he jumped out of this seat. "Come on Usopp! Chopper! Let's find a cool costume!"

“Aye!” The two scurried excitedly after Luffy.

"There's no way stopping them." Nami signed but gazed at Robin with a mischievous smile. "We don't have a choice but to dress up."

"Indeed." Robin agreed.

"Whaa.. I'll be able to see Nami-chwan and Robin-chwan in costume!" The ero-cook noodle danced as he clasped his hands over his chest, hearts bubbled from his eyes. "I'll definitely be a prince for the both of you! My ladies."

Zoro snorted at the cook's words. "A prince with a sword stuck up his ass would suit you, shitty cook."

I don't need your fucking opinion moss brain! Zombies won't even try to eat you with that empty head of yours."Sanji snarled at him.

"I hope they eat that spoiled brain leaking from your nose whenever you see a skirt even on a pole." He retorted.

Sanji closed their distance by grabbing his shirt; they were merely inches away from each other. "Another word Marimo, I swear I'm gonna kick your worthless head off your body."

"I want to see you try."Zoro said with equal venom as the cook.

The flash of light was the only warning before sword and leg collided with sheer strength. It created a gust of wind blowing in the dining area. Brook and Franky didn't flinch as if the act was a normal thing. Robin just watched with amusement while Nami gave an exhausted sigh. The mayor on the other hand was trembling on his seat. It became a battle of strength as the two stayed on their position. Three swords were drawn, shielding from Sanji's foot. None of them broke the death glare between them.

"If you want to kill each other, just do it outside or somewhere you won't bother anyone, you morons!" Nami shouted at them. Zoro gave a final glare to the cook before they settled into a silent agreement not to continue their fight. They both withdraw their weapons from each other. Zoro sheathed his swords silently while Sanji lit a smoke and took a drag.

"I'm not done with you!" Sanji seethed before turning around leaving the inn.

"Any time cook."Zoro answered. Luckily the air seemed to become breathable for the mayor and he inhaled deeply.

"I can't believe it. We haven't even left you two alone with each other, and in second you're at each other's necks." The sea witch ranted pointedly at him. Zoro growled and bit into his cheeks, he should have followed the cook outside than suffer this witch's scolding.

"Not cool, Zoro-bro." Franky chimed. "We should be celebrating the festival of the dead not adding souls to the other side." He continued clapping the swordsman’s shoulder.

Zoro almost pouted at that while Brook laugh full of jest. "Yohohohoho~ I'll do my best and find the scariest costume!"

"You don't have to!" Everybody yelled at him at the same time.

In the end, Zoro had to find a costume to wear for the festival. All of them scattered around the town to join the people and somehow help if they needed. Zoro found the place peaceful and friendly with pirates yet he couldn't fully trust them. It was his duty to protect the crew and if he had to scrutinize even the most innocent looking person in the world he'd do it without a word just to make sure no harm would come to his nakama. He asked around where he could get a costume and he followed all of the instructions the townsmen gave him. It was easy and he was confident where he was going.

Until he realized that he was in the forest.

~~~~~

Zoro kept on walking for hours, he should have reached the town by now but the foliage became wilder as he proceeded forward. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to get back to the crew. He was tempted to just lie under a tree and doze off, with a little hope that the place around him will arrange itself and when he woke up the town will be in front of him. Well, he already did that and the shit didn't work but at least he had a good nap.

His boots stomped on the dry ground; he didn't have an idea how did the trees and plants grew in this kind of land and there was one thing that bothered him, there were no signs of fauna in the dark forest; the sound of the animals faded and the stillness of the air sent alarm to his brain. Finally, he saw something unexpected. His brow twitched at the signage at the top of the door of the small cabin in the middle to the fucking woods _._

_'Lilya's Costume Shop,'_ it said.

"Just the thing that I needed." He smirked to himself before he entered the shop. The bell rang as he slipped through the door. Surprisingly the shop was well kept, unlike the exterior that seemed to look like an abandon house rather than a business establishment. The lamps were lit as supplement for the lack of sunlight. The counter was empty and clothes were hanging on the wall. There were pumpkin shaped lanterns suspended from the ceiling and creepy designs in every corner. Zoro was sure it was another way of celebrating the festival. He could only conclude that he was definitely near the town.

_Hah, who say's I always get lost? Take that ero-cook!_ The thought made him smirked smugly.

"How may I help a young man like you?" An old lady's voice said coming from the counter. Zoro didn't notice her presence until she spoken.

"I need a costume."Zoro grunted as he motioned to the counter. The old lady was small and wearing a black dress and a pointy hat. The crease on her face showed how many years she had spent but despite her witch costume the smile on her face was warm and contagious; though Zoro didn't give in.

"Oh! For the festival! Indeed." She nodded to herself. "I have the perfect costume for you." The woman hopped off the chair to the floor. Zoro only realized that she was sitting, and the old woman was a way shorter than what he had expected. She walked to the clothes hanging on the clothes rack where the costumes were kept and Zoro followed her, idly looking on the other stuff they passed. "Oh, perhaps may I ask what particular costume would you prefer?" She asked not bothering to look at him.

"Anything would be fine. I just need it to humor my captain."

A thumping sound brought the swordsman's attention to the old lady. She was opening a closet at the very end of the shop and the door creaked when she pulled the handles. Dust flew at the sudden movement and she coughed as she waved them off.

"Pretty shallow. Like any travelers that come to our island." The old lady said before she picked a box from the closet and rested it on the floor.

"What are you saying?" Zoro couldn't help but get curious at her comment.

"The festival has its value for nothing." The swordsman tried to understand the woman's words but couldn't say what she really meant. He just watched her as she opened the box and brought a dried carved pumpkin.

"We used to celebrate it with more enthusiasm." The box didn't have any other things related to what Zoro needed, just a stock of random old things.

"What is that thing?" He asked peering at the dried pumpkin. The thing's surface was carved in great details and the hollow face was so grotesque looking Zoro almost winced at its appearance. Its mouth was jagged with fangs and the eye socket was deformed and highlighted with darker shade of brown. Its dull yellow skin was disturbingly wrinkled; it reminded Zoro of a real human skin. And he didn't want to remember where he exactly saw it. A murder victim from a slaughter house perhaps…

_Shit!_ He remembered!

Too busy with his thoughts, he failed to notice that the old lady had gotten back to the counter with the creepy item. Zoro's question was obviously ignored by the shopkeeper and she didn't even help him get a costume which he had been expecting since she said she had something for him. He just gave a confused glance at her before he rested his right arm at the hilts of his swords and wandered around the aisle between racks of clothes. Zoro was not the type of person who fussed about clothes or accessories. All he needed were decent ones that were comfortable and wouldn't get in his way when fighting or training. Now costumes were no different. A hat or something not bright and glittery was enough for him. Yet, as he scanned and shuffled some of the clothes, he realized that the shop had more stuff for girls and children.

He continued roaming toward one of the corner. He noticed a mascot suit standing at the very corner of shop. It was a scarecrow; fat suit, wearing a worn-out farmer's vest, shirt and pants. The boots were too large for the legs even for such a big suit like this. Its hands and head were made of stalked straws sewn to maintain its form. The face has two hollow eyes that have shadows coming from the inside of the suit. Like the maker simply punctured the head with a pipe to make the eyes. It didn't have nose or mouth but the mere way of how the straws were lined was enough to send an eerie touch to someone's skin; and the blood. Zoro knew that the blood was real. No matter how old, smudged and dried it was; he knew when he saw it. The mascot was stained in blood, he could see some splotches on its clothes, hands and face, as if the straw seeped it inside.

Zoro would be lying if he'd said he was not alarmed at his deduction. The scarecrow was creepy; it was given because it was one of the festival's goals but the blood made Zoro consider things a little bit deeper. Using blood for such a simple costume was not a normal thing to him. Though maybe he just didn't know how serious the people in this town were about their beliefs. He decided let it go for now, he didn't have enough proof or reason to jump to any conclusions yet.

Turning around he couldn't stop himself from gazing on the counter. The old lady was still busy with her pumpkin; scribbling something on the paper, mumbling something as she patted the thing. The swordsman shrugged it off and walked around to the other side. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to get anything from this shop; he was ready to go straight to the door when he felt a presence coming from his left. His left hand flew on the hilt of Wado as he turned prepared to fight just in case.

He quirked an eyebrow; the presence he felt looming at the edge of his vision was another mascot sitting in the corner. Zoro relaxed his posture but didn't drop his guard. It was a wolf this time. It was standing like a human despite its wolf features. The fur was too real and it was two feet taller than him. It reminded him of some creature from Usopp's tales. Werewolf, if he remembered it correctly a hybrid of human and wolf. The mascot had a dark hairy chest of a human. The hands and feet were a mix of the two; sharp nails digging on the floor and the arms stretched forward were a horrifying sight to see. Usopp might have already been scrambling out of the shop by now if he was there with him. And the head; it was definitely a wolf's head. He peered at the mascot as his feet brought him closer towards it.

It was like a freaking huge taxidermy. The wolf had a snarling expression, the jaw was widely opened showing all of its sharp teeth and its snout scrunched through the nose; he could almost imagine it growling at him. There was one thing the werewolf and the scarecrow had in common; the hollow eyes. The eyelids were open showing only shadows within where the eyeballs should have been instead. Zoro held tightly on his sword as a tinge of copper filled his nose. He tried to locate the source of the smell and confirmed it coming from the werewolf.

He was really getting uncomfortable the longer he stayed at the place. His instinct was screaming at him to get away from the shop but curiosity got the better of him. What he smelled was blood, fresh blood. The swordsman focused his eyes on the pair of pits of darkness in the wolf’s skull. A flash of light seemed to find its way to the hole as he leaned closer and Zoro saw a fucking eyeball inside. Human eyes. He quickly stepped back in shock.

"I see you're enjoying the view." The old lady's voice rung behind him; startling Zoro even more, he turned in time to see the pumpkin shoved to his face. A flicker of light; then the slicing of a sword was heard as the two pieces of pumpkin fell to the floor. Zoro held his sword in front of him as he glared at the woman.

"That was rude obaasan." He said pointedly at her, but the shopkeeper was just smiling at him unfazed.

"No, it's not if this old lady is just trying to teach tradition to younger ones like yourself."

"I don't have time with your riddles. If you want something from me, say it."Zoro stated drawing a second blade in case the lady tried to attack him. It was clear now that the woman imposed danger from the malevolent energy he could feel hovering around her. Something suddenly clattered on the floor; Zoro saw the half pumpkin move before it shot to the air towards him. He dodged the flying thing as the other half flew with it. The two pieces kept on flying to his head. Zoro wasn't sure why the woman was doing this. He tried to slice the annoying pumpkin as he dodged without success, it was too fast and an unsettling energy distracting him was coming from the shopkeeper. 

"They didn't know how to pass my test, they failed and paid for the price trapped by the monsters they truly are." She said waving to the mascot behind Zoro.

"What… are those?" The swordsman trailed off as he jumped to the side to avoid another shot.

"They were human once and you'll join them if you fail too." She continued. Zoro gritted his teeth as he changed his form into two sword style. The woman was definitely a witch and Zoro wouldn't let himself fall in her trap. He waited for the right moment before he lunged an attack. He was sure his blade hit the two pumpkins as he skidded forward; leaving the air pressure he caused swirling behind him. He looked up to see the witch vanish before his eyes and when he turned around to find her, he was met with a hand over his face. Half of his face was already covered by the dried pumpkin, he watched in horror as the old lady's face contorted with malice from the eye hole of the mask placed on his face. Zoro's world tilted to the side and he felt himself being pushed. He wasn't sure if he was being pushed away or the whole world decided to pull away from him. His line of vision narrowed until all he could see was darkness. Zoro wanted to fight but his body wouldn't move as if there was nothing to begin with. Panic found its way to his mind as the witch’s voice rang in his head.

_"Trick or treating is the key. You have to gain one of them. One chance is given to you. The first person to meet you is your victim. You have until midnight. If you don't succeed, you'll be trapped in the monster that you really are."_

~~~~~~~~~~

Zoro opened his eyes with a start. He stared blankly at the burning sky for a few seconds before he remembered what happened. He sprang into a sitting position as he tried to find the old witch but she was nowhere to be found. He was still at the middle of the clearing but the shop was gone and the forest was brighter than what he saw earlier. Zoro used his observation haki but detected no threat around him. He lowered his gaze as he sighed in relief before he blurted. What the hell!

He was sure that the fat pair of legs lying in front of him weren’t his, yet there were clearly connected to his torso. His pants were dirty white overlapped by dark brown boots with pointy toes swirling upward like a sprout. It was then that he realized he was wearing a costume.

He grabbed several parts of his body to make sure of his realization. The soft material over his skin was smooth and fluffy. He stood with ease look at his back. He was wearing an open vest and a haramaki around his waist. His hands had gloves that looked more like mittens. He put his hand on his face only to hold onto the soft surface of the mascot's head. He was just literally wearing a bodysuit.

What happened to me? Zoro grumbled under his breath as he tried to pull it off his head. But after a minute of struggling, the thing still wouldn't come off. It was like the whole suit was sewn around him without any way of taking it off.

_'Did the old lady do this to me?'_ He mused recalling the shopkeeper’s words. She had told him that the mascots displayed were once human. The flashes of the odd event filled his mind; jumbled and overlapping with one another.

_The bloody costume…_

_\- They failed…_

_\- Trapped inside…_

_\- To teach him something…_

_\- Trick or treating…_

Then it clicked in his mind.

Somehow, he was cursed or something. He had to go trick or treating if he wanted to get this suit off. Zoro gaped at his stupid fluffy hand. But what stunned him were the memories of the two previous victims of the witch flashing in his mind. She said they become the monster they were truly are, but they're no longer trapped in their suit, there were freed, though not by their conscience. The blood that soaked their suits were not theirs, it was from their victims. They killed them causing real horror that freed them.

The wind blew around him, the rustling sound of the leaves and branches brought soothing calmness to his nerves. He could still see the sun in the sky, he still had time, and he wouldn’t let himself lose to that freaking witch. Zoro had to go back to the town and do what he could; his hand automatically went to his swords. He blinked twice realizing he had no swords on his side.

Shit! He cursed, looking around he saw them laying in the grass a few steps away. He sighed in relief and walked over to pick them up. The festival had started and finding a victim would be easy, he could scare them if he wanted; the situation was nothing serious. He could do it. What could possibly go wrong? His arm was stretched down to his swords when he felt a solid hit to his temples coming from the left. It was powerful enough to send him bouncing in the clearing.

What the fuck! Who the hell are you? Why did you-Zoro cut off himself and blinked at the form in front of him. He was wearing a blue gray, long sleeved, thigh length coat with silver lining and swirling designs. It was paired with pants and boots that completed its royalty. The blond hair swayed a little as the stranger glared at him suspiciously; a thin line of gold around his head shone under the sun light.

"What the hell are you?" The blond asked with a disgruntled look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank BrainDeadMaggot for beta reading this chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own One Piece :(

Sanji took a long time to calm himself after his small fight with Zoro. Yes, it was a small fight, for if they really had a chance to show their annoyance with each other the mayor's place would now be burning and diced into pieces. The moss bastard should be thanking Nami-san for stopping him from stomping him into the ground. And Sanji was thankful he had brought enough smokes to calm his nerves. He spent his morning walking aimlessly to distract himself.

The town was really busy.  People were preparing for the nights presentation at the town square. Decorations were placed on every corner and the number of people wearing weird costumes was increasing pretty quickly. Sanji saw stalls selling food with the touch of the festival. They made pastries that looked like pumpkins, bats and even severed hands. Candies were also available and so were other sweets inspired by the coming night celebration. He saw Luffy, Usopp and Chopper raiding a clothes shop. Well, that was how it looked at first because the three were so excited choosing their costume. It was one of the things that Straw Hat Crew could be known of, they like to dress up. Luffy saw him coming and grabbed him to join them, which he was willing to do so. The festive mood was nicely running in them. The townspeople were amiable and Sanji couldn't help but get excited for the coming celebration.

After two hours of rummaging the shop's closet and products by several Straw Hat crew, they finally chose their attire for the event. Luffy was wearing a freaking round meat suit; it was brownish red in color with crisscross patterns on the front. It was pretty realistic in Sanji's view given that he was a chef. The thing only had five holes; one where his captain's face poked out and four others for his limbs. It was funny to see the man run around covered in a meat bun with two bones on each side. The guise would be perfect if he had a set of plates to lie on and Sanji would be grateful to add sauce and a few vegetables for presentation as long as Luffy eat it after the event. The only thing out of place on the costume was the straw hat resting on top of it. How it managed to stay in place, he didn't ask.

Usopp was overwhelmed with his vampire costume. He had tried to scare Chopper by concealing himself under his black cape obscuring everything from under his eyes. Though his efforts for making his voice rhythmic and creepy were barely noticed since Chopper and Luffy had their eyes on his nose that obviously protruded under the cape. The two rolled on the floor laughing their asses off at their sniper. Chopper was wearing a fake nose with teeth strapped to his face with a pair of fangs, the little doctor also wears big black wings on his back. He was portraying to be a wild bat from some haunted forest he read about in an old book and no matter what kind of costume Chopper wore, Sanji was sure he'd still be as adorable as he was.

Sanji on the other hand found an authentic prince outfit under the shop's oldest stock. It was elegant and clean. It took him one look to decide and pay for it. He was excited to serve his beautiful angels Nami-swan and Robin-chwan in prince attire. His face contorted in a weird way as he imagined the two ladies of their crew. His fantasy was cut off when Luffy decided to start scaring people. He quickly resigned himself from the fun his captain was having and told Usopp that he'd go back to Sunny to make candies for the festival. The shopkeeper shared some of the traditions they do for the festival, especially trick or treating, which explained the volume of sweets Sanji saw around the town.

The cook shortly made his way back on their ship and started making cookies and homemade candies as he prepared lunch for him. The crew had decided to have lunch in the mayor's place. But seeing that everyone became busy in the town, Sanji presumed that most of them would have lunch somewhere else. Using some wrappers left from their previous parties, he managed to wrap enough sweets to be distributed by their crew. He also made some snacks for the crew in case he saw them later.

It took him a few hours to get everything done. The blond went to the deck to have smoke. He leaned on the railing, watching how the sea and sky met at the horizon. The sun was biting his skin with soothing warmth as the cool air blew from time to time. Sanji enjoyed this kind of moments; watching and hearing the water splash on the side of the ship, feeling the brush of the wind in his hair and the warmth of the sun on his skin. It gave him a great reminder of the fact that he was alive. It was the gentler kind of existing on a small island; standing there in his new home; alive and feeling. He was thankful.

Sanji shrugged the thoughts away and finished his smoke. It was time to go back to the town. Sanji packed everything before he changed into his attire and walked back towards the mayor's inn. He was blessed to see Nami in the place in her costume. He tried to stop his nose from bleeding as he ogled at her. Nami was wearing black leather top and tights. She had a choker and a pair of bracelets around her wrist. She also had a tail behind her and a whip slung on her belt. Sanji barely noticed the headband with horns on the navigator's head as he started swooning over her.

"What a lovely demon you are Nami-swan~ I don't mind if you take my soul!" He swiveled on his feet cradling his heart with both hands. His eye was dripping with hearts.  "Indeed Nami-san, you've made a beautiful demon but as a dead person, will you show me your pant-" The speaker didn't have time to continue when a foot connected with his face, sending him to the floor.

"How dare you ask for Nami swan's- Eh? Brook?" The cook choked at his words. The man stirring on the floor was definitely their musician from the body frame and afro. But when Brook faced them everything seemed wrong; insanely fucking wrong. Brook's face was covered with artificial flesh, from what Sanji could muster; was it made from fabric, leather or paper? He didn't know but it really looked like a human skin.

"Yohohoho! Have I surprised you?" The tallest asked him with a proud smile. It felt weird to Sanji, seeing Brook with skin but still skinny as a skeleton. The sight made him remember unpleasant memories. Not to mention the glassy eye balls resting in the sockets of his skull; Brook really did scare him.

"Fuck! Brook what the hell happened to you?!" He yelled gritting on his teeth as he tried not to kick him again.

"I was lucky to find this man who helped me make this skin toned body suit. Yohohoho!" He explained splaying his hands holding his cane-sword between his thumb and palm in front of him.

"Whatever you wanted to be, you sure creep me out." Nami said with a grimace on her face.

“I knew this will be scary, especially to those who knew I'm nothing but bones. Honestly, I don't even want to look in the mirror." He admitted in a serious tone.

"Then why the hell did you wear that!" Nami and Sanji chorused together, disgust and fear was showing in their faces.

"You've got an interesting appearance, Brook-san." Robin suddenly spoke from behind the blond. She came from the stairs and Sanji was happy to see her.

"Robin-chwan!" Sanji squealed pinching his nose to stop the threatening burst of blood. The archeologist was glowing with gold accessories she was wearing. An ancient dress of an empress of an old civilization from the West was magnificent on Robin. It reminded Sanji of the fashion in Alabasta but the design had a different touch of culture; Robin looked like a Goddess in Sanji's eyes. "You look gorgeous in your outfit. Can I be your slave, my Goddess? He continued.

"You look pleasing yourself, Sanji-san." Robin chimed with her usual elegant smile.

"It's my pleasure to be praised by a lovely lady." He bowed proudly; the heat on his cheeks was tingling.

"Oiii! Sanji! We need candies!" Luffy's sudden burst caught the attention of everyone in the room before he launched himself to the unsuspecting cook. The lump of meat pinned Sanji on the floor knocking the table and chairs in the process. Sanji protested and kicked his captain off him. When he managed to stand and dust himself, Sanji found Usopp, Chopper and Franky entering the door.

The crew gave comments on their costumes. Talking about where they got them and who made them. Franky was pretending to be a product of human resurrection magic. He colored his skin gray and emphasized the stitches on his body. He looked like a zombie in Thriller Bark but with bulging metal arms, the pumpkin-shaped hairstyle and blinking nipple flashlights, and for some reason Franky was speaking with a robot accent. That made Sanji wondered if the man had really decided to be a zombie.

As expected everyone was shocked in Brook's appearance, especially Usopp. In one instance, the two of them were talking about the cool costumes they saw when Brook laughed too hard and rattled his skull, making one of his artificial eyeballs fall into his mouth as he continued to hoot. Usopp let out an unmanly screech together with Chopper and Luffy. He swore he almost had a heart attack which Brook apologized for. Sanji distributed the packs of candy to the crew in case some of the townspeople tried to trick or treat with them. He also brought out the snacks he made as they continue to talk. Luffy was on the food before anybody else.

"Your captain Usopp was invited to participate with one of the shows later." The sniper announced proudly.

“Is it the play about the legendary monster of the great sea?" Franky asked coming from one of the stool on the bar.

"How did you know?" The long-nosed vampire wondered.

"They want me to help making props in that presentation."

"That's amazing! Luffy and I are also in that show!" Chopper tottered joyfully as he clutched the pack of candies on his chest.

Woah! This means we have to start preparing for it!"Usopp interjected with excitement.

"I could help in music arrangement if you want." Brook offered. Luffy nodded at him in agreement.

"Yosh! We'll give them a show they'll never forget!" The captain exclaimed, a wide grin spreading on his lips. "Shishishshi! I want everybody to watch!"

"I just hope they won't end up ruining the whole town." Nami sighed as she rested her hand on her hip, but gave a smile at them before a great idea strike her. "Wait! Can we charge the audience for tickets?" Belly signs replaced her eyes in an instant.

"I think we could but we must ask the mayor first." Robin answered; she could literally see more ideas forming in their navigator’s mind to earn money.

"Don't worry Nami-san, I'll make sure they won't make trouble!"Sanji volunteered to do the duty of watching the crew.

"Yay! I'm excited!" Chopper cheered as Luffy and Usopp joined him in a feet dance.

"Eh- Where's Zoro?" Luffy suddenly asked, looking around them. Everybody silenced for a moment realizing the lack of green haired swordsman sleeping in some spot in the room.

Nami face palmed and sighed. Everyone knew what would have happened to him and they all gave a pointed look to Sanji. A few seconds passed before the blond realized.

Wha- Why me?" He blurted catching his cigarette as it fell from his lips.

"Because you're good at finding him." Usopp said as if it was the only fact in the world.

"Right! Bring back Zoro, Sanji! Everyone has to watch the Straw Hat Pirates show!"Luffy said determined eyes at him.

Sanji couldn't refuse the captain's orders and the moss brain wasn't that hard to find. He composed himself and took a drag of his smoke. "Okay, we'll be at the plaza tonight." He earned an approving smile from his captain.

"I just hope he didn't get cursed by a witch and become a real monster of the dead. That's a tragic way of losing our swordsman.” Robin’s hand cupped her cheek as she shared her suspicion.

"You don't have to say those things." Usopp tried to stop the train of thought her opinion supplied.

"Zoro's not that stupid."Luffy chuckled as he stood and motion to the door.

He'll be fine, let's just focus on making money." Nami added following their captain.

Everyone shared a look before they agreed. "Let's go!"

 

~~~~~

 

Sanji knew how to track a directionally challenged moss head. First, he always goes to the opposite of the right direction. Then he continued to do it without fail. It would be a miracle if he'd managed to get near the place he wanted to be, yet would be still unfortunate enough to get lost before he realized the miracle. Sanji knew that he had to start searching in the farthest place from the town which was the forest on the east side of the island. He was tempted to ask for directions and do what the shitty swordsman would do but he decided to save himself from the humiliation and start at the end point where the marimo would end up; lost in the middle of the forest.

The walk was longer than he had thought. They came from the west when they docked, so they hadn't seen the back of the island. The forest from the edge of the town stretched to the mountains through the other side. The cook made his way down the trail for several minutes and remembered that the chance to see Zoro in one of the trails wasn't that high. He went off the trail but made sure to leave some marks in case he had to backtrack. Sanji was thankful that the trees were high enough to protect him from the heat of the sun. His clothes were thick and heavy from all the beady designs.

After hours of searching in the woods he finally found a small clearing. It was full of short grass that reminded him of the cause of his search. He scanned the area but found no sign of Zoro and it was starting to piss him off.

"Where the fucking hell did that moss go?" He mumbled to himself. He crossed the clearing and walked ahead until he reached a cliff. Another string of curses escaped his mouth as he went back to the clearing. A soft rustle of grass suddenly took the cook's attention. Sanji stopped in his tracks and waited for another sound.  It didn't make him wait for he heard another movement coming from the small field of grass ahead.

Sanji didn't waste time and lunged forward. He was expecting a green haired man with a disgruntled look on his face sorting his way out of the forest. But what he saw made his curly brow arched in awe and frustration. It was not Zoro, but a huge stuffed humanoid walking away from him. The appearance alone made the cook want to kick him in the face though he didn't know why. His eyes cast to the thing's direction and saw the three swords he's so familiar with lying on the ground. A protective instinct hit him; without hesitation, he leaped and gave a powerful kick to the stuffed thing to the side of its oversized head. Sanji didn't bother to look how it flew and landed on the field. His attention was on the swords, he knew Zoro would never leave his precious blades. Whatever happened to the idiot turd, he was going to get a good beating from making it harder finding him. He gazed back to the thing with tight lips and furrowed brows.

"What the hell are you?"

 

~~~~~~

 

Sanji tried to figure out what kind of costume the person was wearing. The head was shaped like a pumpkin but the color was green. It had a spiral carved on the top of it that resembled the tip of its boots. It was wearing an open vest, a cape and dirty white pants. The blond arched a brow at the green band around its waist. Haramaki? Zoro would call it. All in all, the thing looked suspicious mostly because of its hollow eyes and the weird zigzag mouth. He continued to watch the thing dust itself grudgingly as it stood to face him; no change in its expression. Sanji busied himself, pulling a cigarette stick and lit it with his lighter. The thing stomped towards him its hand gestured in the air as if pointing something before it stopped on its way.

"Who are you?" Sanji asked after the first breath of his smoke. The thing took one step, one gloved hand tapping its chest; still no expression in the face. "Are you deaf? Can you even speak?"

He's starting to get confused, Sanji only wanted to find the stupid swordsman and not to deal with a new human plant species or whatever the thing is. The thing didn't do anything from where it stood and Sanji was running out of patience. "You know what? If you don't want to talk to humans, I should be going now." He said, turning around as he sauntered toward the three swords. He bent forward to pick the swords but before he could touch it a mass of soft fabric lunged at him coming from the back.

He landed on the ground with a grunt with the offensive thing. They scuffled on the grass as the cook tried to pry the things arms from around his waist. "Get off me you shitty plant!" Sanji yelled after spitting his smoke away from them. Sanji was lying on his stomach and the large mascot thing was pinning him to the ground. He swore he's going to flay whoever was in the freaking suit. Sanji managed to get his knees on the ground gaining leverage to push the mascot thing away from him. To his surprise the pair of arms loosened and he took the chance to turn on his back but regretted quickly when the thing pushed him flat on the ground. Now it was straddling him, its fluffy gloved hands pressed on his shoulder.

Sanji gaped at the large fluffy mascot man in front of him. It was seriously staring down at him boring a hole through his soul, despite the funny horizontally zigzag mouth it had. The air around them suddenly changed and he felt heavy with those dark pair carved eyes on him. The cook got curious and he relaxed on the mascot's hold. The thing seemed to notice the change in the blond. Sanji watched as the left mitten hand tap to its soft chest before it splayed it flat on Sanji’s chest with a firm press. Sanji was confused.

_'What could it mean?'_ He thought. The expression on his face was readable enough for the mascot to know he didn't get any of it. The motion repeated for a couple of times as the blond process the meaning of the action. "You... Me?" He mumbles uncertainly, until the thing used both of its hand to cupped the center of its chest towards his. "What..? Could it be? A declaration of love?" Sanji almost choked at the thought he didn't meant to blurt out. He knew it sounds crazy but the heart gesture was what he saw in that chubby gloved hand.

His statement hung in the air for a few seconds and Sanji was waiting for a negative respond. But the mascot just flinched before its soft hand went to the blond’s neck in haste.

"What the fuck is your problem!" Sanji yelled struggling to its grasp. That's it! He was pissed and ready to kill this pricks ass; with a powerful kick the mascot shot in the air and fell on the trees. Sanji huffed annoyed that he let himself be assaulted by that shitty plant as he rolled on his feet. He tried to ignore the heat on his face. What did that moron try to do to him anyway? He shook his head to stop himself from thinking further. Sanji picked up the swords and walk away, he still had a marimo to hunt down and he couldn't waste his time with that shitty plant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is already finished but let me know what you think of it. I wrote this story last year, but I just get the confidence to post it now so.. o_o 
> 
> I'll update as soon as the chapters are ready. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. 


	3. Chapter 3

It was unbelievable. He couldn't believe that this was happening to him. The cook's kick was as powerful as usual. Zoro could take it anytime of the day. Though the pain he was used to was not the problem. It was Sanji. Why, of all people, Sanji was the first one he had encountered in his stupid costume. He would have search for an easy victim, and scare the shit out of them without fail. But the plan was all ruined because the stupid cook decided to appear from nowhere and kick him; not like he couldn't scare the ero-cook. Hell, he was sure he could beat him in a duel. He knew how strong the cook was and he respected him though he would never admit it out loud. They were rivals and they communicated through fights, not with words, and the fact that he knew Sanji would never back down in a fight only fueled his determination to beat him.

But Zoro didn't know how trick or treating would work with Sanji.

Zoro swore he tried his all. Upon seeing the pervert cook, he tried to communicate. _‘What are you looking at shit cook?'_ He grumbled as he stood. But Sanji didn't respond and continue to light his smoke. Zoro tried again and again to reach him with words without success. Then he realized the fact that he couldn't speak. He was talking in his head. That was the reason why Sanji was just staring at him suspiciously. It sent panic to the back of his head screaming _'How am I supposed to get out of this shit if I can’t talk, dammit!'_

He used hand gestures to communicate with the blond.

_'I'm Zoro!'_ He insisted but Sanji only got more confused.

When the blond tried to dismiss him, he lost his patience and lunged at the other man. He just couldn't believe that Sanji was stupid enough not to see that it was him. Hell! The haramaki was still on. _'Stupid cook! We're nakama!'_

He kept on trying to show their relationship but Zoro wasn't good at making his point, especially because of the round mittens around his hands. Damn, he couldn't even curl his fingers properly. And even Sanji seemed to be trying to understand him; it was fruitless. Zoro forcefully shoved both his hands to himself and threw one to the cook like it would make his point clear. _'I'm Zoro, you son of a bitch!'_

Sanji's words didn't register at first until Zoro repeated it in his head. _'A d-declaration of love?'_

Zoro flinched at the disturbing thought. Who would ever think of that in this fucking situation? It didn't take too long before he found the answer. _'Of course! I am talking to the pervert cook!'_

Frustration turned to rage and Zoro realized that he wanted to beat the hell out of Sanji's stupid mind as he found his fluffy hand trying to strangle the blond. But before he could complete his task a solid kick hit him across his chest sending him across the clearing to the trees.

~~~~~

"Stop following me, you creep." Sanji warned for the third time, there's more acid in his voice than the last time. Zoro watched the cook's frame as he walked in the forest from a good distance where his legs won't reach him in case he decided to send another kick. Zoro didn't have much of a choice but to follow Sanji. He wouldn't risk to get trapped in the land of timber until midnight. He had to beat the curse no matter what. He furrowed his brows as he watched the cook; he knew it won't be apparent due to his freaking large head. 

How the hell would he scare this shit cook? He'd been thinking that since he recovered from the last kick Sanji gave him. The sun was dangerously near the horizon, Zoro need to do something; anything. Zoro would prefer to do the _tricking_ at the blond than be _treated by_ him. He would never let himself get in debt with the shitty cook; he knew the idiot would rub it in his face. No idea came to his mind and he stared blankly at his swords safely tucked under Sanji's arm. It pissed him of that he couldn't even hold his own swords when he has the entire claim to do it.

"Zoorooo! Where are you? “The blond suddenly screamed. "I don't have all day to find your scrawny ass you idiot." He continued irritated before he stopped and wait for a reply. But the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves only met the cook's ears.

"Fuck that marimo!" Sanji huffed and leaned on one of the large trees. His visible eye flickered to the looming plant-man he knew was hiding in the bushes. "Come out you freak, you can't pretend to be sneaking when I knew where you are."

_'Curse my flappy boots!'_ Zoro thought walking to the blond's line of view.

Sanji watched the stupid face etched in the plant-man's face. "I know it's hard for your part but I'm not ready to have relationship." He smoothly said without hesitation. Zoro flinched in embarrassment and frustration. _'Like hell I want that!'_ His hand swayed to the side as if throwing something then he formed his arms into an X. "Bitter squash."Sanji smirked at him.

Zoro just wanted to kill the cook right there and then. "Though if you keep following me, Luffy might see you and would immediately ask you to be part of his crew. Oh! We can try that to get rid of our swordsman.” The last sentence seemed to brighten the blond's face before it fell back to disgust. "Nah.. He's a fungus we could never scrub off the crew." The scowl on the cook's face only fueled the swordsman's anger. It made him wonder if Sanji really knew it was him and was annoying him on purpose. "I'm going back to the town. You're on your own plant-man." The blond muttered before he pushed himself off the tree and turn his back to him. Zoro gaped at Sanji's back; something or a thing was crawling on the cook's back up to his shoulder. He wanted to warn him but the cook felt it and his body stiffen so suddenly Zoro thought he'd turn to rock.

The cigarette between his lips fell as he gasped; panic was threatening to fill his system as he felt his blood leave his body. He hated those tiny crawling bugs, not because he's scared but because of their disgusting look. The number of legs alone insanely weird to him; hairs, eyes, shiny bumps and slime.  Sanji just couldn't take it. For a second he hoped the crawling sensation on his back was just his imagination but as his brain focused on it the more it became real. Such luck he had. The soft padding of legs climbed on his right shoulder. His left hand held the bunch of swords and he knew his right hand wouldn't effectively swipe the thing off him because of the angle. Before he knew it, he felt a hairy tiny leg touched the skin on his neck. All restrains left him.

Sanji screamed jerking his body as he tried to zip the fucking bug off his shoulder, his right hand flailed uncontrollably. "Shit! Get off mee.! You- Aughh.. Stupid Fucker!"The tone of his voice changed from rage to whine then angry pleading. He was trying to peer on his back but he couldn't see the thing, he just felt it crawled down to his lower back to the left. He twisted and stepped back before he tripped on a root and fell off his feet. His head bumped on the trunk of the tree and landed on his back with a curse.

Zoro was laughing at the scene before him. He knew that Sanji wasn't fond of bugs and any gruesome insects according to Usopp. But seeing the cook go pale and jumped around in disgust was really entertaining. If Zoro could make a sound of his mirth Sanji would surely get pissed off. When the blond fell on the ground Zoro doubled over as he laughed not looking at the blond. He heard him muffled a curse. The swordsman thought it was over but some branches moved above the trees and the air was suddenly filled with a loud screech.

The next thing he saw was a disheveled Sanji covered in baby spiders running for his life. Zoro couldn't laugh anymore. The conflict etched in the blond's face was something near crying and read 'help me', which had never crossed the man's face since the swordsman met him. Zoro didn't waste time and dashed to follow Sanji before he could disappear from his sight. The blond was fast, but not fast enough when he was not disoriented and overwhelmed with confusing emotions. He managed to catch up to him despite having such foamy large limbs. He saw a flash of yellow at the end of the trail where the trees and plants stopped growing. Bursting out of the forest, Zoro saw the cook at the edge of the cliff; still trying to wriggle off the remaining spiders clinging to his clothes.

Sanji was whining when he realized some of the spiders were squished on his coat as he peered over his shoulder. He felt a creeping sensation on his forearm holding the swords. It was enough to make him shudder and swung his arm to get rid of the insect. His hammering heart skipped several beats when one of the swords slipped from his hold. Sanji's eyes went wide as he watched in horror when the sword slid off from its saya and flew to the cliff. He moved without thinking. He dashed in the air right hand reaching for the blade.

Sanji knew how important the swords were to Zoro. They're the medium of his power the extension of his soul as a swordsman. Sanji wasn't sure what it's called in swordsman term but he knew that wielding blades was not something ordinary to Zoro. Because Zoro was special, he's going to be the greatest swordsman in the world and he needs these swords to do that. The blond's reach was a few inches away from the blade, as they fell off. Rational reasoning was shut in Sanji's head all he's focused on was to secure the sword before impact. Before he could curl his fingers around the sword's blade, a hand shoved him away and stole the sword from his reach. "What do you think you're doing dart brow!" The voice was coming from the body in front of him. Sanji failed to see who it was for his face was suddenly buried on the soft chest, an arm wrapped around his shoulders before everything went black.

~~~~~

The sun was long gone. Zoro could only hear the creaking of insects and the rare breeze of the wind to the leaves. The sky was clear and full of stars, it was peaceful and the bottom of the cliff was surely a good spot for camping. Maybe some other time though. There were too many things Zoro should be doing than stare at the sky. He was sitting next to the sprawled form of the unmoving cook.

Zoro look at his trembling hands; blood soaked in the fluffy fabric. He couldn't even try to look at his nakama after what he did. He thought he was in control of himself but after those memories flashed, he knew that his will had somehow faltered no matter how many times he denied it to himself.

_'Curse that witch and her stupid curse!'_ He gritted his teeth.

~~~~~

Sanji was his friend, a nakama; he would sacrifice his life for him or for any of the crew. That was how deep their friendship or rivalry was. He was the first mate, it was his duty to protect the crew. How could he think of killing one of them? Zoro felt something twist in his stomach every cell in his body was screaming wrong. He saw how much the cook cared about his swords and his dreams; trying to grab the blade with his bare hands whilst jumping off a cliff. How stupid was that! The cook really was an idiot. So Zoro didn't waste time and save the cook from his idiocy. He grabbed the sword before the blond could even touch it and protected Sanji from the fall. It was fine, they landed hard on the ground but Zoro managed to cover most of the cook's body in a fluffy bear hug.

But looking down at the cook, he found him unconscious. Zoro laid him down to the ground gently resting the blond's head. That was where he noticed the blood from the back of Sanji's head. He remembered him knocking his head on the tree and seeing that the thin golden crown of hair was stained with blood only supported his assumption. Sanji had a concussion. Zoro had a little knowledge on treating the cook; the important thing was to wake him up. His mind worked its gears on recalling Chopper's medical lessons when he felt something odd. He felt jittery and his heart pounded like he came from a tough battle, he felt like he extremely wanted something and his hands were itching to do it.

He quickly looked at the source of the sensation and found Sanji's blood on his foam and fabric covered hand. The smell pierced Zoro's nose; the coppery scent stayed in his senses like it was all he could breathe. The swordsman didn't know how he could smell it wearing the mascot's head but the scent flew directly to him as if indulging him to get more of that red fluid. Zoro was never bothered by the stench of blood. He spills it in fights and he had long accepted that he would forever be exposed to it being a blade wielder. A pool of blood would never scare Roronoa Zoro. But the blood of the cook had too much effect on him and that scared him. 

Zoro noticed that the smear of blood on his gloves was seeped by his suit. A flash of memories flew into his head; a werewolf tearing a man with his claws and the scarecrow stabbing a girl with a pike. It was bloody and the screams and fear were flowing along with the stream of blood; spraying, _horror_ , staining, _cuts_ , seeping, _death_. The hunger was infectious, the guilt was present but the scent made them succumb to the irresistible urge. It lulled him to submission, it was drowning him... 

_Wrong!_

Zoro snapped out of the trance the moment he grasped a piece of his sanity. He only realized that he was still holding the hilt of Sandai Kitetsu with a trembling tight grip; the blade a mere inch from Sanji's neck. He tried to be calm and recall all his training on meditation and pulled the blade away from the cook and back to its sheath. It took him a few sets of deep breaths before he set his mind to his task. He must treat Sanji's injury first. He couldn't deal with self-doubt now; the cook's safety was more important.

He gathered all the strength he could muster to go back to the blond's side and make a makeshift bandage from his stupid cape, ignoring the alluring scent of Sanji's blood. He had tried to wake Sanji but he stayed unconscious. The bleeding stopped and that gave a little ease to his growing anxiety. Seeing the peaceful feature on the other man's face ensured him that the blond wasn't in danger anymore.

~~~~~~

Now he sat next to the cook musing why he had that reaction to Sanji's blood. It was quite obvious that it was part of the curse the witch casted on him and it had to do with Sanji being his victim. No wonder the previous cursed people killed their victims. Zoro was gravely getting pissed off with the situation. He had to beat the curse! The trick or treating shit had to work! It's fucking night and he only had hours before midnight! How was he going to do anything if the cook was out! Zoro face palmed at his frustration and remembered again that he’s running out of time.

_'Hey! Cook stop sleeping like a princess and let me do my business!'_ He snapped, turning to look at Sanji who stayed lying still.

Zoro watched the blond's steady rise and fall of his chest, his lips slightly parted; he looked harmless like this but the swordsman knew how deadly those legs were and how sharp the words the blond could spill. Zoro couldn't imagine himself hurting the cook. Well maybe a few jabs and cuts when Sanji started being prissy and annoying but to seriously hurt him? He would never. His eyes never left the cook's face as he mused before he noticed the crease forming on his curly brows.

_'What's wrong?'_ He asked leaning forward. Sanji just turned his head to the right frowning in his sleep. _'Is he cold? '_ Zoro thought as he placed his hand over the blond's cheek but reality slapped him hard by the fact that he couldn't feel anything with his stupid excuse of a hand.

He let the frustration pass and looked closer; it was highly probable that Sanji was cold. Some forests become too cold at night and the cook was just wearing his prince costume. Zoro looked around to find wood to start fire with. He knew Sanji had one of his fancy lighters somewhere in his pocket. Making a fire would be an easy task. He collected wood and leaves, arranged them on the ground before he went for the lighter. It took him a while before he could flicker a small flame and almost set himself on fire; his gloves caught fire but he managed to put the flames out with a series of rolls on the ground. In the end, he didn't make a fire out of annoyance to his stupid suit. Zoro stared back at Sanji grudgingly. The blond looked a little bit paler than usual and something stirred inside Zoro.

_'Shit!'_ He scrambled to the blond's side, concerned. _'How can I get him warm?'_ He held Sanji's face with his fluffy hands. Zoro didn't feel cold, but his hands were actually warm maybe because of his mascot suit. After a small internal battle Zoro decided to do the least he could do. He laid beside the cook and wrapped his arm around him, his soft body slightly pressing on the blond's side as his large head rested on the others cheek. Zoro was sure that this could keep Sanji warm for a bit. He stayed in that position for a minute before he sensed movement from the cook. Turning his face on his nakama, he was confronted by Sanji's sleepy eyes. Zoro stilled for a moment before he received a good kick from Sanji directly to his temples, which was not impossible knowing the cook’s flexibility.

"What are you trying to do dumbass!"Sanji burst out vehemently as he sat glaring at the mascot. Zoro rolled paces away from the blond, cradling the new bruise on his head. The head of his suit was thick but Sanji's shoes were thicker; it hurt and he wanted to get back on the cook, but a part of him was relieved that he finally woke up.

_'It’s about time swirly brow.'_ He huffed facing the angry blond. Now that Sanji was awake he could do what needed to be done or else the world will know him as the greatest swordsman in a mascot suit. That would never waver his dream but hell, he preferred to be known as Roronoa Zoro. He smirked inside the suit. _'Prepare yourself shitty cook! I'll make you pay for all those kicks!'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got nothing to say. Maybe you guys have.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank BrainDeadMaggot for beta reading this chapter. ^_^  
> Hope you like it.. :)


End file.
